Championship Series

News

ROSEMONT, Ill. (May 20, 2016) – As the college softball season enters its most exciting time of the year, the Bandits will provide weekly updates on the progress of their 2016 draftees throughout the NCAA Tournament and Women’s College World Series. Be sure to check back each week for an update on how the draftees and their teams are doing on the national stage. Each player selected during the 2016 NPF College Draft cannot officially sign a contract with their respective professional teams until after the completion of their college season.

Shelby Turnier – Univ. of Central Florida – Round 2, No. 11 Overall

Regular Season Recap: Turnier finished as the mainstay in UCF’s rotation, starting 34 of the team’s 56 games during the 2016 season. She compiled a 20-16 mark for the Knights with a respectable 2.35 ERA. Opponents hit just .200 off her for the season. For her efforts, Turnier was named to the American Conference First Team.

Last Week: With UCF’s 3-2 win over Connecticut in the American Conference quarterfinals, Turnier moved into first on the program’s all-time list for career wins (79). She tossed all seven innings against the Huskies, surrendering just three hits and two runs with 13 strikeouts. The No. 25 Knights were eventually knocked out of the conference tournament in the semifinals by Tulsa. Turnier allowed four runs in five innings in that contest while fanning five batters.

The Weekend Ahead: UCF will make the short trip to Gainesville, Florida to begin their run in the NCAA Tournament. Turnier and the Knights are set in No. 1 Florida’s regional along with Florida Atlantic and Alabama State. They begin with a contest against Florida Atlantic at 11 a.m. CST on Friday. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

Kellsi Kloss – Louisiana State Univ. – Round 3, No. 17 Overall

Regular Season Recap: Kloss and the LSU Tigers ended their regular season on a tear, winning 12 of their final 13 games, including taking two of three from No. 11 Washington prior to the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Kloss had a sensational senior year at LSU, batting at a .302 clip with nine home runs and 50 RBI. She showcased her talent as a premier catcher in the SEC and displayed her durability as well, starting all 60 games for the Tigers.

Last Week: The No. 10 Tigers made a deep run in the SEC Tournament, reaching the championship game before falling to No. 8 Auburn by a score of 7-1. LSU had knocked off three consecutive ranked opponents – Texas A&M, Kentucky and Tennessee – before the final. Kloss recorded the game-winning hit in a 5-4 win over Texas A&M as part of a 2-for-4 day at the plate with a pair of RBI.

The Weekend Ahead: LSU will host its own regional in Baton Rouge, beginning with a Friday game at 6 p.m. CST against Long Island – Brooklyn. Dependent upon the results of each team’s initial game, the Tigers will then face either Arizona State or McNeese State on Saturday. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN3.

Emily Carosone – Auburn Univ. – Round 4, No. 22 Overall

Regular Season Recap: Carosone finished the regular season to her senior campaign with a .397 clip at the plate. She smacked 12 home runs and drove in 53 runs during the season, both ranking third on the team. Carosone started all 58 games for the Tigers and led the team in runs (67).

Last Week: Auburn capped off a sensational 49-9 season with a win over fellow Bandits draftee Kellsi Kloss and LSU in the SEC title game. Carosone was named the Most Valuable Player in the conference tournament after batting .417 with three RBI in three games. The SEC title marks Auburn’s second consecutive championship.

The Weekend Ahead: As the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, Auburn will host its own regional, which holds Jacksonville State, Oregon State and South Carolina Upstate. The Tigers will begin their postseason with a game against Jacksonville State at 6 p.m. CST against Jacksonville State. Audio coverage and a statistics feed will be provided via the Auburn Tigers official softball website at www.auburntigers.com/sports/w-softbl.

Kristen Brown – Univ. of North Carolina – Round 4, No. 24 Overall

Regular Season Recap: Brown led the Tar Heels in nearly all meaningful offensive categories during her senior season. She paced the team with a .397 batting average, 18 home runs and 55 RBI while slugging .808 and scoring 43 runs. She played a major role in UNC winning 30-plus games for a second consecutive season after limping to a 24-26 mark in 2014.

Last Week: After winning six of their final seven regular season games, the Tar Heels wanted to leave little doubt as to their NCAA Tournament hopes. UNC took down Boston College emphatically in the Athletic Coast Conference quarterfinals before falling to the top seed in the tournament, Florida State, in the semifinals. Brown went 1-for-7 with one walk in the two games.

The Weekend Ahead: UNC earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament as part of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Regional. The Tar Heels will join No. 7 James Madison, Princeton and Longwood in the quadrant. UNC will kick off its run at 2 p.m. on Friday against Longwood before facing either James Madison or Princeton on Saturday. The Tar Heels contest against Longwood and other select games through the regional round will be broadcast courtesy of James Madison at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/jmu/.

Since 2005, the Chicago Bandits have been members of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league. Located in Rosemont, the Bandits provide an opportunity for female fastpitch players to further their careers at a professional level, and the roster has included such names as Jennie Finch, Stacy May-Johnson, Emily Allard and Tammy Williams. The three-time NPF Champions, who are owned by Bill Sokolis, play at The Ballpark at Rosemont, the only stadium in the country built for a women’s professional team. The 2016 season will be the Bandits 12th season in the NPF.

National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), an Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball since 2002, provides elite female athletes with an opportunity to pursue a professional career in diamond sports beyond their collegiate success. The 2016 NPF season will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Coverage includes the NPF College Draft presented by Bownet on Thur., April 14, followed by 23 regular-season games, a Championship Series Preview Special and the 2016 NPF Championship Series. The NPF recently announced that the Scrap Yard Dawgs, located in The Woodlands, Texas, will join the Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Dallas Charge, Pennsylvania Rebellion and USSSA Pride for the 2016 season. National Pro Fastpitch players hail from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand, representing the most accomplished and talented athletes in the sport of women’s softball.